Beef is a Tasty, Convenient Solution to the Daily Question, "What’s For Dinner?"

Posted to BeefRetail.org in conjunction with June 2010 issue of Retail Beef Blast.

When school starts back this fall, schedules will fill up quickly as parents transport children to school, soccer practice, piano lessons and back again. With so much time spent on the go, many families have little time to prepare a meal or even think about what’s for dinner.

Encourage customers to choose beef as a healthy, delicious and convenient meal option by showing them how to use beef to solve the dinner dilemma. Beef is not only easy to prepare in a variety of ways, but it's also a nutritious option that comes at a great value.

• Make sure your associates are ready to answer questions about the nutritional benefits of beef. Beef is an excellent source of nutrients vital to the physical growth, mental development and healthy immune systems of children. Use the following statements to help convey why beef should be the center of the plate. Beef is:
  - An excellent source of protein, the building block for muscles; muscles help metabolism while building strength
  - An excellent source of zinc, which helps fight colds and boosts the immune system
  - A good source of iron, vital to children’s mental development
  - A good source of B-vitamins, which aid in turning food into energy
• Review Beef Training Camp, particularly the “Nutritional Benefits of Beef” section, for more information.

Provide recipes by the meat case or right on the package to give busy customers ideas when they’re standing in front of the meat case wondering what to buy.

• Use tear pads and brochure holders to display recipes next to featured beef items in the meat case.
• Direct customers to BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. This Web site provides a section of “kid-friendly” recipes including Nacho Beef Dip and Sweet Hawaiian Mini Burgers.
• Easy Fresh Cooking^® labels provide a way to give customers recipes and meal ideas right on the package. These labels encourage customers to try new cuts and recipes.
• When featuring recipes mentioned above in your meat department, remind your customers that Sept. 28 is Family Day.

Labor Day Cookouts Begin with Beef

While beef is a great option for everyday weeknight meals, beef is also the center of many special occasions. See how you can make the most of Labor Day by tapping into the opportunity it presents to boost your bottom line.

• Encourage customers to make beef the centerpiece of Labor Day celebrations. Here are a couple examples of signage messaging options: “Celebrate the last blast of summer with beef” and “You’ve worked hard – Reward yourself with steak this Labor Day.”
• Take advantages of promotions around tailgating and Labor Day. The Kraft A.1.® and Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser® Tailgating Promotion offers money saving in-store coupons. Hormel’s House of Tsang Promotion includes in-store displays containing bottles of House of Tsang oils, sauces and marinades featuring neck hangers with IRCs and coupons with recipes. View the promotional calendar for information about these programs.
• Introduce a new beef cut to get your customers talking. The new Beef Alternative Merchandising (BAM) Cuts offer just what your customers are looking for. They are convenient, nutritious, versatile and perfectly portioned at a great value. Download point-of-sale materials and use other resources including cutting videos.
• Give customers “Grill Talk,” a Customer Handout on Grilling for grilling guidelines and cooking tips.
• Add some end of summer zest to the palate by suggesting these recipes: 
  Steaks with Tomato Tapenade includes a combination of tomatoes, sliced ripe olives, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
  - Utilize one of the new BAM cuts, Beef Top Loin Filets, to create Chimichurri-Marinated Top Loin Filets. The colorful chimichurri sauce includes garlic, cilantro, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon peel, salt and red pepper.
  - Review the Beef Training Camp section on Grilling with your associates to be sure they are ready to answer customers’ grilling questions.

Labor Day offers a great opportunity to capitalize on Middle Meat cuts. Use the BAM cuts to provide healthy and convenient options your customers can use for Labor Day cookouts and busy weeknights.